Interview Subjects – ‘Tell me about yourself…’

For Service-leavers who haven’t got recent interview experience, the prospect can seem daunting. Here, we dissect another of the more common but no less tricky interview subjects so that you can show your best side to interviewers and land your next post-Services role.

‘Tell me about yourself…’
What could be simpler? Surely talking about yourself is something approaching your favourite topic and of course, who knows you, better than you? 

You might think that this gentle enquiry is just a warm-up or better still, an indication that this interview is going to be a real cakewalk – and therein lies the danger! What this open-ended statement is really asking is ‘Do you know how to answer questions in an efficient, professional style?’

This is one of those subjects where people will tell you that there’s no ‘wrong answer’ – but that’s just a load of horse apples. Exaggerating for a moment to make the point, a wrong answer would be: ‘I like Hitler’. Getting back to ‘tell me about yourself’, the right answer is a succinct description of your professional persona. The wrong answer, is a list of your non-professional hobbies or what you like to watch on telly.

Communication
The other hidden question is, ‘Do you know when to stop talking?’. It’s a method of rating how well you communicate. Will you proceed to bore the feet of the interviewer or will you have the acumen to say something worthwhile and not use the proverbial extra rope to hang yourself?

‘Tell me about yourself’ can, however, be treated a little bit as a free hit. It is an opportunity to set the tone for the interview since it’s very likely to be an opening question from the interviewer. Naturally, they are looking forward to spending the next hour with somebody who’s interesting and can speak passionately about themselves and how they fit into the vacancy. Furthermore, it’s also an indicator as to whether the employer would want you communicating with valuable customers or not.

Skills
Your answer should include a part that describes how your skills and experience might work well towards success in the job you’re applying for. That said, don’t get too drawn into detailing your strengths and weaknesses. That question will probably surface in a few minutes’ time. Keep it mostly professional but perhaps sign off with a personal flourish just to prevent you sounding too dull. Something like, ‘At the weekends I like to go cycling to keep fit’ might work (nothing too whacky).

It’s probably time to get rehearsing on this one. You want to sound breezy and spontaneous but not over-rehearsed. It might be time to stand in front of your mirror and practise a few lines – and see what you look like while doing so.